GSFC to launch branding campaign for Gujcon, eyes Doha Olympics

Ropes in Bollywood actor Akshaye Khanna, is also finalising media and branding agency for the campaign

The state-owned Gujarat State Fertilizers Corporation (GSFC) is planning an ambitious international branding and promotions campaign for its Gujcon brand of reinforced fibres that are used in construction and infrastructure industries.

The company has roped in Bollywood actor Akshaye Khanna and will be soon launching advertising campaign across the country as well as in the Middle East to tap the construction work for the upcoming Doha Olympics.

Gujcon concrete reinforced fibre (CRF) and nylon reinforced fibre (PRF) are secondary fibre reinforcement for concrete and plaster, respectively, with major application in RCC & PCC, flooring, roads, bridges, pre-cast structures and waterproofing.

"Film actor Akshaye Khanna has been roped in. We will launch a branding and advertising campaign pan-India soon, as part of which TVC campaigns will be rolled out soon. We are also looking towards the Gulf world since the Doha Olympics is coming up. Lot of construction activity is going on and there is huge opportunity for the Gujcon reinforced fibre plaster for construction work like roads, flyovers, etc," S K Nanda, IAS, chairman and managing director of GSFC Ltd told Business Standard.

GSFC is also in the process of finalising a media and branding agency for the campaign which will see TVCs in news and general entertainment channels. The campaign cost is being projected at around Rs 2 crore.

Currently, the construction industry uses two types of materials viz. polyethylene and poly propylene based plasters in cement. However, the state-owned GSFC is launching the patented product Gujcon reinforced nylon fibre based plaster, manufacturing facility for which is set up at Surat at an investment of over Rs 100 crore.

"There are three materials available as plasters for mixing with cement, viz. polyethylene, poly propylene and now nylon. While the first two do not absorb well, nylon fibre not only mixes well with the cement but also concretises and removes excess water. Unlike other plasters where 60 per cent of cement sticks to the wall while rest 40 per cent is lost in rebound, the nylon fibre reduces the rebound to mere 10 per cent," Nanda explained.

Meanwhile, GSFC inaugurated its fully drawn yarn (FDY) unit at its fibre unit in Kosamba in Surat. According to the company, under the present competitive market of nylon filament yarn, GSFC will achieve annual production capacity of 2,625 MT at the FDY plant which would increase the turnover by Rs 70 crore.

Nanda committed to make the fibre unit more profit making division for which he has consented for a new POY line with advance technology for the production of 'Gujnyl' so that production capacity and turnover of the same can be increased.

Moreover GSFC has also decided to install high speed spinning chips plant of 30,000 MTPA capacity at Kosamba. Besides, with the sales of Gujcon CRF & PRF also set to increase, the company expects the turnover of fibre unit will touch a high of Rs 1,000 crore.